The Hope of the Resurrection
Luke 23:50-24:12

 I. The resurrection brings you hope because Jesus has power over death.

A. After Jesus dies, we see that the people who love Jesus are completely hopeless. In Luke 23:50 we meet Joseph of Arimathea. He had no hope that he would ever see Jesus alive again. All he could do was honor Jesus by putting His body in the nice tomb he had purchased. And the women who loved Jesus from His home area of Galilee also wanted to honor Jesus by anointing his body with spices and perfumes. Like Joseph they had no hope, however, of ever seeing Jesus alive again.

B. So the women were shocked when they saw two angels and heard the angels ask them in vs. 5, “Why do you look for the living among the dead?” They were so surprised that it took them a while to process the angels’ words of vs. 6, “He is not here but has risen.” In their joy and their shock they ran to tell the remaining 11 disciples of the good news of Jesus’ resurrection. The disciples also did not believe the good news at first (vs. 11). But they came to understand that Jesus has power over death. If Jesus could be raised, what couldn’t He do?

II. The resurrection brings you hope because Jesus keeps His Word.

A. Look at the word the angels used with the women in the middle of vs. 6. “Remember” the angels said. Remember Jesus’ words, the angels said. Remember His promises. You need to remember those promises because Jesus always keeps His promises. One such promise that Jesus made is in Luke 9:22: “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.” Jesus meant what He promised. The resurrection of Jesus was part of His plan from the beginning.

B. We frequently do not know what God is going to do in our lives. We’re not God. But we do know who God is. He is faithful. He always keeps His promises in His Word. So if you hold on to the promises of Jesus in His Word your faith will eventually be fine. It will be well with your soul. Is it well with your soul today? If your soul is struggling today with fears and doubts, remember. Remember the promises that Jesus has made in His Word.

III. The resurrection brings you hope because Jesus gives us a relationship with God.

A. In 1 Corinthians 15:3-5 we read the core of the Christian Good News: “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.” Cephas is the Aramaic name for Peter. Jesus went especially to Peter after His resurrection. Why? To let Peter know that he was forgiven and to restore him to a good relationship with Himself. Luke 22:69: “But from now on the Son of Man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God.” Jesus is ruling the world at God’s side. And while He rules the world He is praying for you.

Application:
Because Jesus is risen from the dead you have hope no matter what your circumstances.

Sources:
The Gospel of Luke
Commentary on Luke by Darrell Bock
Sermon by R. Kent Hughes